It was nothing less than a dream come true for Hong Kong gamer Ip Chi-ho when he found himself on stage alongside South Korean esports superstars T1 in a pair of exhibition matches last month.
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The response of about 5,000 fans packing the AsiaWorld-Expo added to the thrill of appearing with the five-member Korean team led by Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as “Faker” and widely considered the greatest player in the battle-arena game League of Legends.
“The cheers and enthusiasm of the audience made it feel like the real thing,” Ip, 25, told the Post. “That has become the happiest moment of my life.”
He was among five Hongkongers chosen through a competition to play in what was a rare major esports event in recent years.
The popularity of esports, with participants competing in video games such as League of Legends and Counter-Strike, has been rising in Hong Kong, but the scene remains less developed than in mainland China and South Korea, where players and teams receive lucrative support from major video game companies.
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The global esports market was valued at US$5.39 billion last year and projected to hit as much as US$41.39 billion by 2033, according to Precedence Research, a consultancy firm based in Canada and India.